Health News. Lots of resources and information

Beta carotene and the other carotenes are called “provitamin A,” because they can be converted to vitamin A inside your body. Provitamin A is the plant form of vitamin A. When you eat meat, fish, dairy and poultry products, however, you take in preformed vitamin A.

I tell my patients to get most of their vitamin A from beta carotene, rather than preformed vitamin A. Why? Because to get preformed vitamin A from, let’s say, meat, you’re forced to swallow a lot of fat, cholesterol and who knows what chemical additives.

When you obtain beta carotene from carrots, broccoli, cantaloupes and other fruits and vegetables, however, you’re eating a lot of vitamins and minerals, with only small amounts of fat and absolutely no cholesterol. Besides, the beta carotene in foods is not toxic, but large doses of vitamin A (preformed vitamin A) may be toxic.

Bugs Bunny isn’t the only American hero who knows the value of Super Foods. Popeye is always eating spinach, which contains large amounts of beta carotene. I don’t know if spinach will make your muscles grow, but I can guarantee that the beta carotene in spinach will give your “doctor within” a boost. We don’t have a cartoon hero who eats sweet potatoes, but perhaps we should, because sweet potatoes are also high in beta carotene. (Sweet Potato Man?)

Beta Carotene Against Cancer

Beta carotene is a new part of cancer prevention and treatment programs. Exciting research conducted in this country and abroad indicates that beta carotene reduces the general risk of cancer in humans, especially cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, prostate and urinary bladder. Even if you smoke, beta carotene can help protect you against lung cancer. But please, do not use this as an excuse to smoke. There is no good reason to smoke.

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